German Phrase
Es ist der fünfte November.
Meaning
This phrase is the standard way to state the current date in German. It uses the impersonal pronoun 'es' combined with the definite article and an ordinal number to specify the day of the month.
When to use
Use this phrase when answering a question about today's date or when documenting a specific day in a journal or letter. It is appropriate for both formal and informal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Es istderfünfteNovember
Es ist
This is the impersonal 'it is' construction used for time, weather, and dates.
Ordinal Numbers
In German dates, numbers 1-19 add '-te' to the cardinal number (fünf + te) and are preceded by the definite article 'der'.
🗨In Conversation
Welches Datum haben wir heute?
What is the date today?
Es ist der fünfte November.
It is the fifth of November.
✕Common Mistakes
Es ist fünf November.
Dates require ordinal numbers (fünfte) rather than cardinal numbers (fünf).
Es ist der fünf November.
Always add the '-te' suffix to numbers 1-19 when expressing the date in the nominative case.
↔Alternatives
Heute ist der fünfte November.
Today is the fifth of November.
Wir haben heute den fünften November.
We have the fifth of November today (using the accusative case).
Cultural Tip
In Germany, dates are always written in the order of day, month, then year (DD.MM.YYYY). While November 5th is famous in the UK as Guy Fawkes Night, in Germany it is a quiet autumn day often leading up to the celebrations of St. Martin's Day on November 11th.